Love Lost and Found
by starryeyed10
Summary: Sirius pieces Remus' life back together after 15 years. Who is this girl that stole Remus' heart so long ago...
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys- It's a pet peeve of mine to get attached to a story then have the author never finish it so I decided to take my own hint and actually finish one for a change! Let me know what you think!

Short story (not one of those 27000 chapter ones, sorry!) that takes place in the summer of Harry's 5th year. Follows the timeline/events, lots of flashbacks though!

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~]

Kingsley charged into Number 12 Grimmauld Place looking fierce and spotted Sirius studying a map in the kitchen, "Where is Remus?! We just got tipped of a hiding place, we think there are captives. Albus is on his way but we need to get there now!" He started searching each doorway frantically. Sirius rolled up the map and it flew into the library, "He's not here, full moon." He strode towards the doorway and grabbed his wand, "I'm coming." Kingsley stopped, "You can't, if something happens…"

"If something happens what?! I'm not going to sit here when you obviously need more wands for the attack!" Sirius stood, glaring at him. Kingsley didn't need telling twice, "If anyone asks, this wasn't my idea and I tried to make you stay, got it?" He didn't wait for an answer before nodding his head for Sirius to follow him out the door.

They arrived at the meeting place, not far from the hide out. Arthur and Bill Weasley were already there with several other Order members. They were hurredly going over plans when they heard a chilling scream from inside. Without a second thought, all of them made way towards the building, breaking down wards as they went. As soon as they were inside, the room was filled with a flurry of spells and curses. Sirius was a little out of practice, but even though he wasn't at his best, he was still one of the best duelers on either side. He spotted two men make their way through a doorway on the opposite side of the room and quickly made his way to follow them. There was no way they were getting out to warn others of the attack. The door led to a basement, dark and musty. He could faintly see a light at either end of the hallway when he was grabbed from the side. He didn't even have time to blink before his wand was ripped from his hand and pointed at his throat. It took his eyes a second to adjust, why wasn't his attacker doing anything? Obviously he was disarmed and had no way of protecting himself. The end of his wand, still pointed at his delicate throat, lit up slightly. In the dim light he was able to make out that it wasn't a wizard that had him held against his will, but a witch, and a slickly thin one at that. Her face was drawn and her eyes were set back in their sockets, she reminded him of himself when he first left Azkaban less than 2 years ago.

"Sirius?" Her voice was strong compared to how she looked. She let go of his robes then pulled his arm as she took a step back to be under the stairs.

Sirius squinted his eyes, trying to take in more light and get a closer look, "Padfoot, it's me, Abeline."

Sirius didn't believe her. He placed his hands on either side of her neck and pulled her a bit closer, she brought the wand closer to face so he could get a better look. After a moment Sirius dropped his hands and instead wrapped them around her frail torso, "This can't be true. Abby, this isn't possible." He pulled her flush with him then repeatedly pushed her away to look at her before bringing her close and squeezing her tight.

She quietly grunted, "Sirius we don't have time. You have to help me get them out of here." She made to pull him along with her down the hallway. He stood his ground wrapping his hand around her slight wrist, "Abby, I'm getting us both out of here now. If something happens and Remus finds out that I literally held you then lost you again I don't know what he'd do." It was a lie, he knew what Remus would do, he'd kill Sirius, then himself. Abby stopped when he said Remus' name, but only for a moment, "Sirius, there are children down here. I'm not leaving till they are out, with or without you," she paused to listen to the commotion upstairs, "there isn't much time, they are only going to be distracted for so long." She looked down the opposite end of the hall then made her way back to the room she came from. Sirius held onto her as they went. The room was just slightly lighter than the hall they came from. It was damp and cold. Abby handed him his wand back after lighting it all the way. He could see two young boys and another woman in the corner of the room. None of them looked as bad as Abby, but they weren't healthy looking either. Abby explained how she had a magic block put on her and couldn't apparate, and that the woman and the boys were muggles. She went over to them, "He's here to help. Sirius go out that window, I'll hand the boys to you and help Susan out. You need to get about 50 yards away before you can apparate. Get them out of here, anywhere safe. I'll be right out after them, then come back and get me." She was already getting the boys ready to go through the window, "Abby I can't leave without you, we'll all go together."

"Sirius, we both know that you can't take all four of us at once. I'm not leaving till they are out of here. Please just help?" She was exhausted and honestly didn't know how much longer she'd be standing up straight.

Sirius squeezed through the widow after breaking the enchantments and wards placed on it. He helped pull the boys, then the woman through, "Sirius go. Get them out. I'll be right there." There was a bang and she knew the basement door had been torn off its hinges. He shook his head and threw half his body back through the window before wrapping his arms around her and yanking her through. They got to their feet and she grabbed the arm of one of the boys, Susan grabbed the other and they took off at a run. Once they were outside the non-apparating zone, she pushed both boys at Sirius. He kept eye contact with her but apparated away none the less. Less than thirty seconds later he was back. There were figures coming towards them, lights flashing all around from missed spells and bouncing off some sort of shield around both of the women. Abby held onto Susan as Sirius pulled both of them close, and they were gone.

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~]

They were the last ones back at headquarters. The boys were being tended to by Molly Weasley, wrapped in blankets and sitting almost on top of the fire to get warm. They both stood at the sight of Susan and Abby then rushed over to grab onto their legs and waist. Abby gently kneeled and brushed their hair off their faces before hugging them. The women sent the boys back to the fire, Molly conjured two more blankets and handed them off. Susan went to sit with the boys but Abby stayed put. She reached her hand up to Sirius' shoulder next to her for balance. Swaying on the spot Sirius picked her up and placed her on the couch. Molly went to call for Poppy when Dumbledore walked in.

"Sirius," the headmaster wasn't happy, keeping Sirius safe and out of trouble kept Harry safe, "we agreed that you would stay here. It would be better for everyone…" Sirius cut him off, "Dumbledore it's her! Its Abeline!" He still had his arms around her, "she was there with them," he gestered over to the fire, "if I wasn't there no one else would have recognized her!"

Dumbledore stopped. He gazed at the sickly witch shivering on the sofa. Ableine had been missing for years, almost 15 to be exact. Dumbledore's eyes were wide, not much phased him really, but this stopped him in his tracks.

"I'll get Minerva. Molly went to get Poppy." He didn't know what else to say. Sirius nodded then went back to tending to Abby.

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~]

Later that night Poppy had tended to Abby and the rest of the hostages. Kingsley brought Susan and the two boys to one of his muggle contacts, someone outside the Ministry that he trusted would take care of them. Sirius was still sitting at Abby's side when she woke up. She was a little disoriented, but sat straight up before colliding with Sirius' chest as he wrapped his arms around her. She sighed before glancing by the fire, "They are safe. We had them returned to one of our muggle contacts, they'll be ok." He felt her physically relax, "Poppy and Molly both want you to take a dreamless draught so you can get some rest. Want me to get it?" he looked down at her. She had scars littering just about every piece of visible flesh, yellowing bruises around her wrists and neck, she was so thin he felt as though he could break her quite easily. She shook her head, "Not yet. Oh Sirius…" She buried her head in his chest, just breathing in and out. She was out. She was safe. All she needed now was, "Where's Remus?" She pulled back slightly. Sirius smiled, "He'll be back in the morning, it's a full moon." She nodded, her eyes closing spontaneously. He reached for the bottle and shook it before handing it to her.

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~]

Sirius ran his hand through his hair while entering the kitchen. Minerva Mcgonagall looked up from the table, her severed eyes glassed over," Is it true Sirius? You're sure that it's her?" Sirius nodded as Minerva made her way from the kitchen and up to the room Sirius had put her in. He took a seat at the big oak table as Molly poured him a cup of tea. He nodded to her before looking down the table. All of the commotion had woken up the rest of the household. Harry and the rest of the kids were gazing up at him, obviously confused as to what had really gone on tonight. Sirius looked up at Arthur first, "Everyone got out ok. We took three of them into custody, the rest got away. No casualties on either side." Sirius was tired. All he wanted to do was curl up outside of Abby's door so no one else would bother her and he could keep a close eye on her till Remus was back. Ugh, that f-ing moon…

"Sirius?" Harry sat closest to him, "I know you're tired and we totally understand if it should wait but, who is she?" They had seen him bring an unconcious woman up the stairs not too long ago and were naturally curious.

Sirius smiled and shook his head, "No it's doesn't have to wait. I'm not going to sleep tonight anyway." He finished his tea and leaned back in his chair, "Her name is Abeline Vimes, and I haven't seen her since before you were born Harry…"

[End Chapter 1]


	2. Chapter 2

[Start Chapter 2]

"She went to school with us, same year and house…"

[Flashback to The Mauraders' 5th-7th years]

Abeline was sitting at one end of the couch in front of the Gryffindor Common Room's fireplace. She had her books all around her, quills and discarded parchment littered her workspace. James, Sirius, and Remus were sitting on the other side of the room, James was charming notes to land near Lily. She kept brushing them off or incinerating them with the tip of her wand.

Remus had his eyes on Abby. She had her wand placed behind her ear as she slowly turned the pages of the book sitting in her lap. Every few pages she would stop to stretch her neck out then continue on. Sirius nudged James and nodded towards the fire. James smiled but neither of them said anything. They both knew that pushing Remus would only make him fight harder against them, and with the full moon tonight neither of them wanted to get on his bad side.

The common room started to empty out and Remus watched Abby gather her things and place them on a table before making her way through the portrait hole. Remus looked out the window behind them, noting that it was almost time for him to leave. The boys were packing their things too, planning their getaway for when Lily would finally go up to bed. Remus said his goodbyes then stepped through the portait hole, part of him hoping he would run into Abby on the way down to meet Madam Pomfry but not knowing what excuse he could make for leaving the castle so late in the evening. He was almost in the clear when he noticed her leaning against the stone wall on the second floor, gazing out one of the big gothic windows. Her arms were crossed against her chest and she seemed to be humming. Even with his senses sharped due to the time of the month, he couldn't make out what tune she was making. As he got closer he noticed her shift and glance behind her before meeting his eyes and smiling, "Hello Remus, out for a stroll?" God those eyes, he thought. She had big, dark brown eyes and olive skin. Her curly hair was tied up in a messy bun with a few hairs loose. Remus smiled back, "I wasn't ready to call it a night yet." The color of the sky out the window told him that it was about time for him to get out of the castle. Abby nodded before standing up straight and stretching. She turned to face him and stood on her tip toes to press her lips against his jaw, "I'm off to bed," she rocked back on her heels, "Don't stay out too late, goodnight Remus." She smiled and took a few steps away before turning back, "Be careful, please." Remus gave a short nod before she turned back around and walked away. Did she know? What else would there be to be careful about unless she knew? Why was she out in the hall so late just staring at the moon? He fought the urge to run up to her and instead sped his way down the main staircase and out the castle door.

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~]

The next night it was just he and Abby left in the common room finishing up homework. Having missed all his classes that day, and barely being awake for the classes the day before, he had a lot to catch up on. Before Abby left the room, Remus pushed himself up, fought off the slight nausea that hit him, and stood in front of her. She had her books pressed against her chest and her wand in her back pocket. She didn't seem surprised that Remus was standing in her way.

Remus took a deep breath. Did he really want to confront her about this? He had just admitted to himself about a month ago that he _might_ have a _slight_ crush on the girl. He didn't want to scare her off so soon. Abby smiled up at him and raised her eyebrows. He froze. She glanced at the nearest table and placed her books on it then walked back to him and took his hand, "Come on, not here." She guided him out the portrait hole and into an empty classroom. She casted a quick detection spell to make sure they were alone then looked to him. He shifted slightly then looked right at her, "How did you know?" Abby lifted herself up so she was sitting on the desk behind her, "I've known since first year Remus." He was stone. His body still ached from the night before and he didn't know what was worse, that or the knot in his stomach that was tightening by the second. Sensing his discomfort she lightly hopped off the desk and walked up to him, "I've known for about five years now and haven't told a soul. It isn't mine to tell Remus." The knot loosened slightly, "But how?" She narrowed her eyes slightly, "Well you can obviously keep a secret," she paused before continuing, "My father was bitten before my brothers and I were born. I grew up with a werewolf in my house, as my father, I would be a bit daft not to recognize a werewolf that I saw every day in class wouldn't I?"

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~]

Remus and Abby hit it off. They began seeing more of each other outside of class and by the time 7th year rolled around they were inseperable in a non-gushy kind of way. Abby was very independent and quick witted. The rest of The Mauraders warmed up to her fast after she talked them out of a few detentions with the professors, namely Mcgonagall and Slughorn. Now that James was with Lily they had calmed down a bit anyway and began making plans for their post-Hogwarts lives.

Remus almost never had his hands off her if he could help it, not that she minded. Her smile was contagious, even on full moon nights. He was calmer around her, more relaxed and happy to be near her. Some nights they would stay in the common room in front of the fire all night just talking and laughing before falling asleep in each other's arms. She would trace the scars on his arms and kiss the ones in reach when it got close to the full moon. He was truly amazed at how accepting she was of him and on several occasions was almost slapped for telling her that she would be better without him.

She and Sirius got on well too. When Remus was away she and Sirius would plan the next prank. He would think of extravagant plans, and it was her job to reel him in a bit. He saw her like a sister, someone to protect and cherish. And he knew that he would never stop loving and caring about her because of how much she cared for Remus. He was always worried that he would shut himself up and never let anyone close to him once they left the safety of Hogwarts, but Abby changed that for him and Sirius was forever grateful.

Once Lily finally said yes to James, she and Abby clicked almost immediately. Both being girlfriends of the famous Mauraders had them on a level playing field. They gushed about new clothes styles and plans after leaving the castle. James was in the same boat as Sirius. Anyone that loved Remus as much as she did deserved to be protected in his eyes. During Abby and Remus' few arguments it was usually James getting the most hurt. He hated when they blatently ignored one another during an argument and would do everything in his power to force them back together.

Arguments were far and few. Most of their time was spent laughing and just being in each other's company. Neither of them had ever been happier.

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~]

Sirius pushed himself from the table. His audience was captivated. They had known Prof Lupin for years and never once suspected that he was in, or at least had been, in love. He excused himself from the table to check on her. Before he left the kitchen he heard its inhabitants excitedly whispering to each other. Sirius wasn't quite sure that it was his story to tell, but he honestly didn't think either of them would care. All that mattered was that she was back, and she wasn't going anywhere.

[End Chapter 2]


	3. Chapter 3

[Start Chapter 3]

Sirius quietly stepped up the stairs. He made it to her door and slightly pushed it open to squeeze himself in. She was out cold. At least the potion was working, he thought to himself. He watched her breathe from the chair he was sitting in. She hardly looked like herself. She was once young and beautiful. Her bright eyes and smile could light up even the darkest of rooms, but now she looked broken. This was not the strong, stubborn girl he once knew. He just hoped, with Remus' help, that they would find her again.

He started to think back at a specific memory, one of the last ones he had of Hogwarts just after they graduated. Thinking back on it, he honestly didn't know if it was more appropriate to laugh or cry.

[Flashback]

After the graduation ceremony The Mauraders and their significant others decided to take one last walk around the Black Lake. Lily and James held hands and took a seat. Sirius sat next to them but Remus and Abby kept walking. They put a little distance between them and the rest of the group before stopping themselves. Abby faced the lake with her back against Remus' chest, she pulled his arms around her waist. He seemed hesitant. After a few minutes he pulled his arms away. Abby turned, slightly confused.

Remus was nervous, but he had been practicing this speech for a while and he was ready for anything Abby threw back at him. He took another step back before starting, "Abby, we can't do this anymore. We aren't going to be protected by this castle from now on. There is the real world out there and it doesn't accept me. I know I've said it before and you've disagreed, but just listen." He was expecting her to cut in, but she stayed silent just looking up at him. He continued, "We can't be together anymore. I will end up hurting you. You deserve someone whole, someone that can provide for you, someone you aren't ashamed of. I don't even think I'll be able to get a job once we leave and that's not fair to you. You are so much better than me and I've been holding you back and I hate myself for it. I was so selfish Lina." He was starting to get agitated with the more momentum he gained. Abby just continued to stare at him blankly. He closed his eyes, "Lina, you can't…"

"Remus Lupin." She cut him off, still staring at him, "Don't you dare 'Lina' me and tell me what I can and can't do, what I deserve and what I don't, and for another thing- newsflash- you can't predict the future. How the hell are you supposed to know that you will just end up hurting me? Are you planning on hurting me in some way?" Remus' eyes got big, "No, no I just…"

"You just what? What Remus? Why on Earth do you think you have the right to tell me what to do? I. Love. You. What? Are you going to tell me that I'm wrong now too?" Her face was getting red and she was shouting now. The rest of their group about a quarter of the way around the lake was staring at them. James made to get up but Lily pulled him back down.

"Remus, I am the daughter of a werewolf, I should know better than anyone of the societal consequences of falling in love with one, and you can't make me fall out of love with you so stop trying. Any way why would you think I was ashamed of you? Weren't we just reprimanded not two days ago for excessive PDA in the corridor? I don't think I would be publicly snogging someone I was ashamed of, do you?" She didn't break his eye contact. He didn't know what to do. Arguing with himself in his head all week getting ready for this fight didn't help at all. They stood there for a long time, he knew he had lost. It wasn't that he didn't love her, he just wanted to give her an out. He wanted to give her the chance to walk away and not feel guilty about it.

Abby took his hand and put her other hand on the side of his face, "I'm in love with you Remus Lupin. You aren't going to get rid of me that easily." She wrikled her nose at him and smiled before placing a soft kiss on his lips, "Can we stop fighting now? Lily isn't going to be able to hold James down much longer and Sirius only has so much self control before he marches himself over here." Remus let out a breath of air he was holding, and slightly nodded.

Remus couldn't believe how lucky he was.

They made their way over to the rest of the group. Remus pulled Abby back a few steps early and kissed her long and hard, "Oh thank the gods!" Sirius rushed up and hugged both of them, then they felt James add to the hug-pile.

[End Flashback]

Sirius got up and kissed her temple before shutting the door behind him. Once in the kitchen, where everyone was still seated, he turned to Kingsley, "Can you run with me in the morning to grab Remus? He usually needs a few days after the moon to recoup, but I know he's going to be better off here." Kingsley nodded gently.

Sirius rubbed his face. He knew they were waiting for more. He looked at Harry, "You know, she was at your parent's wedding. She even stood up for your mother..."

[Flashback to Evans/Potter Wedding]

"Sirius! Remus! Come on, you two are worse than girls getting ready for prom! We are going to be late!" Abby slipped her heels on while she wrestled with some earrings. Remus jumped off the couch, "I've been ready for ages Lina," he leaned down to kiss her on the cheek, "We might be waiting a while for Padfoot." Sirius shot them both a look, "Well if I could just find my other shoe we could leave! Who keeps hiding them?" Abby shook her head before pulling herself flush with Remus', "He's your dog, you deal with him." She shot a look at Remus. He smiled and helped Sirius finish getting ready.

After the ceremony everyone was laughing and in such high spirits. With everything dark going on around them, it was nice to celebrate for once. Sirius looked over, Abby was sitting across Remus' lap feeding him a piece of cake off her plate, he had his arms tight around her as they both laughed at something one of them had said. Sirius grabbed Abby's camera off the table and took a picture of the happy couple leaning in for a kiss. James called him and Remus' over. Abby jumped off Remus' lap and followed them over, the cake laying forgotten behind them.

Abby loved taking pictures. Now that her camera was back in her possession she was snapping away. She turned to see Peter, Remus, Lily, James, and Sirius standing together laughing and dancing. She quietly snapped a candid picture before calling their attention and snapping another. They called her over and they danced the night away.

Minerva Mcgonagall was in attendance. Before the night was over Abby went over to sit with her aunt. Abby's mother had been Minerva's niece. "You look happy." Minerva commented, seeing Abby smile as she looked over at James, Sirius, and Remus. Remus used his finger to tap the side of his nose when he saw her looking. Abby smiled and wrinkled hers in response, "I am happy auntie Min, this is truly the happiest I've ever been." Minerva studied her niece and smiled. She wasn't about to argue with the girl. She knew that Abby had been through so much already, and the war wasn't over yet.

[End Chapter 3]


	4. Chapter 4

[Chapter 4]

Sirius excused himself for the night and returned back to Abby's room. He shrugged off his house coat and slipped into bed with her. She shifted a little and opened her eyes. Sirius just stared at her. She brought her hand to his face, "Thank you Paddy." She used her old nickname for him before smiling and brushing one of his tears away with her thumb. "I was gone for so long Abby, I couldn't help him keep it together. We tried looking for you, day and night but we never even got close. It was like you just vanished into thin air." He had tears running down the side of his face now, spilling onto their pillow. Abby had a sweet smile on her face and pushed herself closer to him, "He should have moved on. I've been gone for years Sirius. It's what he was supposed to do," Sirius could hear a tone of giving up in her voice, but he shook his head, "He still hasn't given up." She furrowed her brow, "What do you mean?" Sirius sighed and closed his eyes, "The closest to moving on he ever did was become a teacher at Hogwarts under Dumbledore. Until then he said that he never even had a proper job or home, he was always out trying to find you." Finally it dawned on her. Remus didn't just not move on, he stopped. He stopped living because she was gone. Abby's heart clenched. How could he do this to himself? A while after she was taken she kept dreaming that Remus had fallen in love again, that he had a few kids running around with his sandy blonde hair and big heart, that he was whole again. But that wasn't the case. She was the reason he wasn't happy, she was the reason he was broken. Sirius pulled her closer, "I'm going to get him in the morning. He should be here, he might even try to kill me for not going to get him this second but there's no way he could consent to traveling even if he's taken his Wolfsbane for tonight." Abby closed her eyes and hummed her approval. As they fell asleep he felt small tears on his neck and chest, he just held her tighter till morning.

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~]

Sirius walked into the house as Padfoot while Kingsley stood outside the door. He sniffed around till he found Remus curled up in one of the guest beds. He went over and transformed before shaking him awake, "Moony, c'mon get up." Remus tried to shrug him off, "Sirius not yet. Let me rest a while longer. I'll be back tonight or tomorrow." He tried to roll over. Sirius didn't stop shaking him till Remus opened his eyes, "What's wrong?" Sirius held his gaze before starting, "Kingsley and I are going to help you back, I know you're too weak to do it alone. Remus you have to come back with us now. I found her, I found Abby Remus and she's at the house. You have to relax…" Remus shot up and yelled in physical pain. He stood completely still, "This isn't funny Sirius." He knew he wasn't kidding, part of him knew that Sirius would never joke about this. He also didn't want to believe him incase this was some sort of dream that he was about to wake up from, Wolfsbane made him have the strangest dreams sometimes.

Sirius took a step towards him and placed his hands on his friend's shoulders, "She's home Moony, Abby's home."

It took both Kingsley and Sirius to get Remus back to Grimmauld Place and up the stairs. Remus' body was screaming in pain, his heart hadn't slowed since Sirius told him about Abby, and he never felt so helpless. He didn't pause before pushing the door open. Sirius had gotten him ready for what he would see, how badly her body had been beaten. Remus stood next to the bed while she slept, he pushed a strand of hair from her cheek as a memory flashed before him.

[Flashback]

Remus threw the arm chair across the room and kicked over the coffee table in front of him. His shoes ground glass fragments into the carpet from a bottle he had whipped at the wall earlier. Sirius had dropped him off after a few drinks at the muggle bar down the block from his flat. It had been almost a year and she was still gone. He tossed a dirty look at the picture frame, face down, on the end table. He hadn't changed anything in their flat. Her desk was still covered in papers and quills, even her cat was hanging around- although scared off by Remus' previous actions.

Remus sat heavily on the love seat and put his face in his hands, a year since he had last seen her, felt her, kissed her. He didn't sleep in their room anymore, it still smelled too much like her. He curled up on the couch and passed out.

Slowly he turned the corner. Abby was in the kitchen washing dishes by hand. Even though she was brought up with magic, she still liked to slow down a little and clean the muggle way when she needed to think. Remus loved watching her take her time while humming to herself, oblivious to him gazing at her. He smiled and walked over to slide his arms around her waist, "Where have you been…" He whispered in her ear, she leaned her head to the other side to give him a chance to kiss her neck. He obliged willingly and felt her smile before turning around and kissing his jaw line to his mouth. He forgot how good she felt.

Then he started. This wasn't real. It couldn't be. Abby wasn't in his arms, she was lost and he couldn't find her. He pulled her in a little tighter afraid to let her go or wake up. Even if it was just a dream, it was better than what he had if he woke up, sleeping forever seemed like a good idea to him.

She sighed and locked her arms around his neck. Remus felt his chest get tighter and tears forming in his eyes, "I'm so sorry Lina. I can't find you. I don't know what to do, I can't do this alone Lina…" He bent to bury in face in her hair. She did her best to soothe him by holding him tight and kissing him anywhere she could find. She pulled away and held his head, "Rem I love you. You're so strong babe, so strong."

[End Flashback]

Sirius sat against the door, tears running down his face. He was so incredibly happy that she was home, and so distraught at the fact that it took them 15 years to find her.

Harry came and sat next to him and stayed silent. He knew how hard everything was for his father's friends he couldn't imagine going through it himself. Sirius finally composes himself and leaned over to Harry to tell him about the last time he saw Remus happy, the night Abeline vanished.

[Flashback]

"Remus hold up!" Sirius was rushing down the path to the Potter's home. Abby squeezed Remus' hand before finishing the walk to their front door and pushing it in. Remus waited for Sirius who had a huge grin on his face, "So you got it?! You finally got the ring? James owled me last night, I can't believe you didn't tell me! Did you give it to her? What did she say?!" Sirius looked like a dog begging for scraps. Remus smiled and pulled the box out of his cloak pocket. The ring was small and feminine but perfect in every way. Remus' face was getting a little red, "I didn't ask yet. I think I am tonight when we get back home." Sirius clapped him on his back, "You're really nervous? That witch has been in love with you for years! There is no way she's saying no!"

James called for them out the front door and they rushed in. Abby was sitting with Lily on the couch, her hands on Lily's soon-to-burst belly. The gift she and Remus had bought lay forgotten on the table as the two girls laughed. James and Sirius kept nudging Remus throughout the night and Remus truly thought they were going to give it away with how ridiculous they were being.

After dinner they sat around the table relaxing, Abby was sitting across Remus' lap with her eyes fluttering shut, Lily had her head on James' shoulder next to her, and Sirius was busy putting together his baby gift for his soon to be godson without magic, as per the bet. He was getting frustrated by the second and gave up only 5min into the project, Remus leaned over to collect a galleon from James who just shook his head, "Padfoot my friend, you wouldn't last an hour in the muggle world."

Abby opened her eyes and sighed, "You know, this is probably the last time all five of us will be together before that baby comes." Remus kissed her head and they sat like that for a while.

After leaving the Potter's Abby made her way into the shower. Remus took to pacing the bedroom while he waited for her to come out. He finally thought he had enough courage built up to propose when she got out. He heard a tapping at the window in the livingroom and went to open it. An owl from James urging him to ' "get it over with already" and to floo him once she said yes'. Remus returned to their room and sat on the bed. He woke after dozing off to the sound of the shower still running, "Abby? Everything alright? You've been in there a while." No one answered. He opened the door to find the shower curtain pulled from its rings and wet footprints all over the floor. She was gone.

[End Flashback]


	5. Chapter 5

[Chapter 5]

Remus walked to her sleeping form on the bed. He sees her scars, bruises, and frailty. The floor board creaked under his foot with his last step and Abby finally began to stir. Remus watched as she stretched out her neck before opening her eyes and finding his. They both froze for what seemed like hours. She finally moved from under the covers and drew herself up to kneel in front of him. All she started to say was, "Rem…" before he grabbed her and held her as close as he could. Neither of them could get close enough to each other. They frantically searched each other's bodies with their hands and eyes before collapsing on the bed and continuing their search.

The more Remus saw of her body the angrier he got, 'How could someone do this to her?' Abby was having some of the same thoughts as she noticed the deep scars and premature aging of his whole body, 'Isn't the Wolfsbane potion supposed to help with this?' Neither of them said another word to each other. They continued touching and caressing till morning.

They stayed in bed for two days, Sirius brought food from Molly to them. They stayed pretty much silent till the third night. Remus woke and sat towards the end of the bed facing the window. He just sat with his hand on Abby's bare leg over the covers and looked out into the night. After not feeling Remus next to her, Abby woke and scooted herself behind him, wrapping her arms around his torso and pushing her chest as close to him as she could. She kissed his bare back, traced each of the silver scars, and quietly hummed. Remus closed his eyes. Before everything changed, they use to wake up and do this on nights before the full moon, it helped both of them calm down. Knowing the amount of pain Remus was going to be in didn't sit well with Abby.

"I'm sorry Lina." Remus placed his face in his hands, not facing her, "They should have taken me. I was the reason they took you. If I wasn't so involved with the first Order they never would have taken you away from me, you would have been safe. If I wasn't a damn…"

"If you think that they took me because you're a werewolf then you're delusional." Abby paused her actions and pushed herself off the bed to stand in front of him, "They took me because I was an idiot. They saw me doing wandless magic when we were helping Mad-Eye with the raid on the Woton Manor earlier that month." She pushed herself between his legs that were thrown over the side of the bed, "They took me because of me, it was never your fault Remus, how could you think that?"

He looked up at her, "You were gone Lina. When I couldn't find you I didn't know what to do."

She pushed a stray hair from his forehead then held his face in two hands, "It's over Rem, I'm home. I don't want to think about it anymore." Their kiss was tentative at first, but sweet. They were new to each other all over again. Both of them had been through so much over the past 15 years that they were different people.

After kissing again, Remus deepened the kiss and pulled her on top of him as he laid back in the bed. She pulled herself up to straddle his hips and ran her hands up and down his hard chest, leaning over to kiss him every place she touched. He sighed and closed his eyes while he pressed his head further back, enjoying every touch Abby thought to make. She finally reached his jaw and ran her soft lips along it, breathing him in. He opened his eyes and rolled them over after pulling off her shirt. He cautioned himself around her bruises but tenderly kissed each jagged scar all over her torso. In the dim moonlight he stopped to make out a particularly disfigured scar that still looked fresh. Abby tried to get him to move on by sitting up slightly to capture his lips, but he stayed transfixed by the wound. She propped herself up on her elbow as he studied it before saying, "Lina, I've only seen this type of scar in St. Mungo's, when I visited the Longbottoms." His eyes searched hers for confirmation. She didn't confirm nor deny what he was suggesting. He gave a quick nod then slowly pushed her back on the bed whispering, "When I find them, I'm going to kill them with my bare hands," in her ear.


	6. Chapter 6

[Chapter 6]

"So are you two coming down to the meeting tonight?" Sirius was currently stuffing his face with food that Molly had intended for Remus and Abby. Remus made to answer but Abby got there first, "Yes we will." She grabbed a sandwich off the try before her. Remus figited. It wasn't a secret that Remus didn't want her involved with the Order, let alone leave the room anytime soon.

Sirius gathered up the rest of their lunch and said his good byes. Remus leaned over to Abby, "C'mon Lina, it's too soon. There will be more meetings later this month."He pressed his forehead to the side of her neck. She sighed, "Rem, we have to get out of this room. Unfortunatly we can't stay here forever."

"I think the universe owes us at least that Lina." He didn't remove his head from its resting place.

"But I want to meet him." She didn't move, she didn't even say it above a whisper. Remus sat back and nodded, "I know, I just don't think I can share you yet." He smiled slightly at her and she grinned back.

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~]

Later that day Remus and Abby make their way to the kitchen before the meeting, "I saw pictures from Daily Prophets they left laying around. So he inherited that damn hair huh?" Abby was buzzing. She hadn't been out of the room since coming to Grimmauld Place and was excited to meet her best friend's son that she had doted on before he was even born.

Sirius was already in the kitchen with the kids. Molly was fussing about getting things ready for the next meal while Arthur sat at the far end of the table reading the current Prophet. None of the other Order members were present yet.

They all looked up as Remus and Abby entered the kitchen. Remus was glad they came down before everyone came for the meeting, he was already anxious and it was just a bunch of kids hanging around. Sirius beamed at both of them then jumped up to pull out two chairs next to him, "I thought you two were going to stay hidden forever!" Abby smiled and kissed him on the cheek before slowly setting herself in the chair. Remus was right behind her with a small frown on his face, "If I had it my way we would still be up there Padfoot." Abby turned and threw him a look, then scrunched her nose at him playfully. Remus returned the gesture.

The kids sat in silence, just watching the scene unfold before them. They had never seen Professor Lupin interact 'playfully' with anyone, other than the few times he pulled small pranks on Sirius, but this seemed more intimate.

Fred stuck his hand out first and introduced himself, then Sirius took over and pointed to each school kid by name. Abby smiled at each of them and kept her hand on Remus' leg throughout the introductions. She wasn't nervous or tired yet, she just knew that keeping physical contact would help both of them calm down a bit.

"I was just telling them about the time you two were 'fighting' (he used air quotes) and kept pulling pranks on each other, remember? I think it was sixth year?" Abby noticed how happy Sirius seemed to be reliving the old memories. Remus laughed next to her, "I made James walk around corners before me incase Lina was there to hex me or something," he laughed again, "she never would've hexed James if she could help it!"

"Why not?" Harry sat towards the middle of the table, slightly to the side of the happy couple.

Abby leaned over, "Because one, James was brilliant at defensive spells, and two, if I hexed him too bad I would've heard about it from Lily for the next year." She smiled at Harry before Molly set soup down in front of her, "Oh Molly we just had the sandwiches you made! Please, you don't have to do this for me!" Everyone who knew Molly Weasley and her fettish for feeding thin people laughed. Molly shook her head, "Oh dear you look too thin. We'll have to work on that so you can heal up properly!" She walked away to tend to the pots on the stove. Remus pulled over a napkin and set her up with utensils, "Are you going to chew it for her too Moony?" Sirius hit him on the back with a hearty laugh. Remus shot a face at his old friend and tried to push the bowl closer to Abby. Abby knew his fussing was close to the extreme, but she knew where he was coming from. If he ever showed up looking like she did now, she would have force fed him till he was bloated.

Abby ate her soup slowly and listened in on the stories Sirius and Remus were recalling. She noticed how captivated the kids were, especially Harry. She knew he had a hard upbringing, and wished with everything she had that she could have been the one to bring him up instead, but he seemed to be healed from any emotional scaring Lily's sister and her husband might have branded him with. When she was finished with her soup Order members started showing up and the kids were banished to the other rooms in the house.

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~]

After the meeting, which consisted of Remus standing up several times to plead with Dumbledore to stop having Abby relive the memories she had of the past fifteen years, some members left to see their familes while others stayed to visit and have supper. Remus' hold on Abby was stronger than ever. He had pretty much pulled her into his lap during the meeting and had his arms locked around her. He would periodically lean his head against the side of her face to comfort himself. Sirius wasn't in the best mood anymore either. While not as vocal as Remus, he resented their old headmaster. Dumbledore had his reasons for asking Abby to share her story and both Mauraders knew that, but the wounds were still too fresh for either of them.

The kids came back down and tucked in to the meal spread before them. Throughout dinner the adults loosened up a bit and returned to sharing old Hogwarts stories. Before the plates were collected, Minerva stopped by. She visited with Abby and Remus and the rest of the inhabitants then asked Remus for a word alone. He was reluctant to let go. Minerva gave him a stern, but understanding look and he turned to Sirius. He didn't have to say a word. He kissed Abby's cheek and as his grip loosened she felt someone else take over for it. Sirius kissed her other cheek before returning to a story for the kids.

Fred and George took over the storytelling for a while and Sirius leaned closer to Abby, "Abs, have you seen it yet?" She looked at him quizzically. He leaned closer, "Remus has had your future engagment ring in his pocket since the night you left." She gave him a surprised look before he continued, "He takes it out of his breast pocket once in a while and just stares at it, turning it over, polishing it, making sure the stones aren't loose." He looked up to see Remus returning to the table and lessened his grip on her. She sadly stared at Sirius before Remus reclaimed his place. She shifted so she was slightly on his lap again. He took her hand in his, drawing lines in her palm, "Ready?" She knew he wanted to take her upstairs again, she had let a yawn slip earlier and she was pretty conviced that he wanted nothing more than to throw her over his shoulder and carry her upstairs himself. She nodded and said her goodbyes. He helped her from her seat and Sirius stood to hug her before they walked out of the kitchen.

[~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~]

Once they were in the room they kept the lights off. Abby pulled Remus close and just buried her face in his chest. After a few moments he felt that she was crying silently. He adjusted to pick her up bridal-style and carried her to bed. Once they were both laying down, she picked herself up to straddle him, he sat up slightly and searched her face for a hint as to how she was feeling. She finally took his head in her hands and asked a simple question, "Why?". Remus didn't know how to answer so he kept quiet, "Why didn't you move on? Remus you could have been happy. You could be married, with kids, and a beautiful home. You could have moved on and had a full life…" She was sobbing now. She had her hand wrapped up in the front of his threadbare shirt. She wanted to hit him, to knock some sense into him, to make him see how he could have been happy instead of waiting. She may never have come back. She may never have escaped, then what? Was he determined to die alone?

He let her finish her hysterics before sitting up straight and lifting her chin so their eyes met, "Because none of it would have meant anything without you."

[Fin]


End file.
